Easy Dinner Recipes for Two (2024)

ByApril AndersonUpdated

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If you cook for yourself and another person, you’re probably an expert at adjusting recipes to serve a smaller amount. Unless you love days of leftovers, following conventional recipes that serve four or more leaves you with a pile of containers in your freezer that you know in your heart will be tossed out months later.

I speak from experience. I understand your plight, so I’ve gathered up easy dinner recipes for two. There are a few fancy ones and a few that are perfect for a weeknight. So, relax – you don’t need to figure out how to adjust any of these scaled-back recipes.

There are so many recipes to choose from – salads, tacos, casseroles, soup, and easy one-pot dinners. I hope you find some new small-batch recipes to try!

Easy Truffle Mushroom Pasta

Truffle mushroom pasta is an easy dish with a few simple ingredients. The truffle sauce is creamy, rich, and so easy to make in about 30 minutes. Tastes like a restaurant dish!

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One-Pan Mushroom Chicken with Broccolini

This cozy one-pan mushroom chicken with broccolini is easy enough to make on a weeknight but tastes like you cooked all day.

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Chicken & Black Bean Spinach Salad

The chicken & black bean spinach salad is packed with veggies and tossed with a simple garlic-lime dressing. It’s no side salad – this bowl of goodness is a star all on its own!

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Instant Pot Braised Beef Tacos

Tender seasoned beef wrapped up in tortillas with all the toppings, including a simple creamy salsa-inspired sauce, is totally doable on a weeknight, thanks to an Instant Pot. It’s easy to prep and are ready to go in less than an hour.

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5-Ingredient Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo

A simple, easy-to-make sun-dried tomato alfredo sauce tossed with pasta. It’s what to make on those nights when there’s just no time to cook.

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Zucchini Turkey Meatballs with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

These turkey meatballs skip the breadcrumbs and, instead, are made with fresh zucchini and pantry spices. They’re topped with an easy roasted red pepper sauce and served with broccoli cauliflower rice.

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Steak Salad with Sautéed Mushrooms

Easy steak salad with sauteed mushrooms is a delicious 30-minute dinner. Tender sirloin served with fresh spinach, herbs, feta cheese and a super easy balsamic dressing.

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Salsa Verde Taco Soup for Two

Salsa verde taco soup made with fresh tomatillos, green chile, brown rice, and ground beef. It’s a small-batch recipe for two that leaves you with just enough leftovers for lunch the next day. I’ve included instructions for both the stovetop and Instant Pot (see notes). And, just like tacos, the soup is garnished with a quick and easy guacamole and a dollop of sour cream because I believe every soup needs a great garnish.

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30-Minute Steak Carbonara for Two

A basic carbonara gets an upgrade with sliced sirloin steak and fresh basil. This dinner for two is so easy to make and takes less than 30 minutes.

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Crispy Chicken Salad with Peanut-Garlic Dressing

This crispy chicken salad is an easy dinner thanks to some smart shortcuts like bagged salad and store-bought chicken tenders. The dressing is a zingy peanut-garlic combo, and all of it comes together in about 30 minutes.

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Grilled Salmon with Sour Cream

This grilled salmon recipe is so simple and delicious!

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30-Minute Sesame Beef Bowls

Easy 30-minute sesame beef is inspired by take-out. The beef is cooked in a savory sauce and served with crisp-tender vegetables and rice. This recipe is a great dinner for two.

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Steak Taco Salad

This fast and fresh steak taco salad for two has tender pan-seared sirloin, creamy diced avocado, black beans, pepper jack cheese, and a super simple 3-ingredient salsa verde dressing.

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Ravioli with Asparagus and Mushrooms

Cheese ravioli, asparagus, and mushrooms tossed together in a lightly buttery lemon sauce. Thanks to store-bought ravioli, It takes only 20 minutes to make, which is perfect for those busy weeknights.

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Bacon Cheddar Cauliflower Soup (for Two)

This easy-to-prep soup for two has smoky bacon, tender roasted vegetables, and cheddar cheese. All of the veggies and bacon roast together on one sheet pan before being added to the soup. Add some shredded cheddar, and you get a cheesy creamy soup that’s perfect on a cold day.

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Easy Ground Turkey Taco Bowls

Don’t be tricked by the long ingredient list because these taco bowls take just 30 minutes from start to finish and require very little prep work.

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Fettuccine Alfredo

Ribbons of tender pasta coated in a simple cheese sauce. This fettuccine Alfredo takes just 15 minutes and is so cozy and comforting.

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Beef Fajitas

These beef fajitas are easy to prep and you can marinate the beef ahead of time. Altogether, it takes about 20 minutes to prep it all and about 20 minutes to cook, making this an easy weeknight dinner.

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Creamy Gruyere Spaghetti for Two

Because this recipe serves two, you don’t need to haul out a big pan to make the sauce. An oven-safe 8.5-inch skillet is a perfect size for the sauce. In fact, I used a smaller pot to cook the pasta, too. Just break the spaghetti in half, and you don’t need a big stock pot either.

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Mexican Caesar Salad

Mexican Caesar salad is a twist on a classic and can be served as a side dish or as a main dish. Crisp romaine, sweet corn, creamy avocado, and sliced jalapenos tossed together in a creamy cilantro Caesar dressing. Serve it as is, or add a protein like grilled chicken or shrimp for a light and easy dinner.

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Balsamic Mushroom Pasta

Mushrooms in a creamy balsamic sauce tossed with fettuccine pasta. It’s easy to make and so delicious!

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Shrimp Fajita Bowls

Seasoned shrimp with cilantro rice and fresh peppers. These fajita bowls are a light and easy dinner.

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Shrimp Penne with Vodka Sauce

This shrimp penne with vodka sauce is an easy-to-make dinner for two.

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Beef Burrito Bowls

Skip Chipotle and make these easy beef burrito bowls at home! Seasoned beef, rice, and all the toppings – this is a fast dinner full of fresh flavors.

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Easy Black Bean Soup

This easy black bean soup for two uses mostly pantry ingredients and is ready to go in less than an hour!

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Pasta with Steak and Spinach

This steak pasta with spinach is an easy dinner recipe that can be served warm, at room temperature or cold. Tender steak tossed with a mustard and balsamic dressing is a delicious dinner full of flavor.

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Easy Beef and Broccoli

Skip the takeout and make this Easy Beef and Broccoli! It only takes 30 minutes and is so delicious. Tender sliced steak, fresh broccoli, and a savory sauce – you’ll love this easy dinner recipe!

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Bucatini all’Amatriciana

This is a quick and easy pasta dish for two with simple ingredients and a little kick of heat from some crushed red pepper flakes. Bring the pasta water to a boil while you prep the ingredients for the sauce and, once you add the pasta to cook, the sauce comes together by the time the pasta is tender.

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Panko Crusted Salmon

This easy Panko Crusted Salmon recipe is ready in 20 minutes! Delicious salmon with mayo sauce and panko is a simple and healthy-ish dinner when you’re craving something light.

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Easy Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta

Easy Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta is ready in 30 minutes! Shrimp tossed with pasta and a simple garlic butter sauce is a great weeknight dinner or special occasion meal. So easy and so delicious!

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Want More Recipes for One or Two?

My cookbook, Gourmet Cooking for One (or Two), is a collection of comfort food–inspired recipes scaled down to serve one or two people. In this book, you’ll find 75 recipes for small-scale dishes, including updated classics, 30-minute single-serving dinners, and simple one-pan recipes that you can make any night of the week!

I hope you’ve found some new easy recipes for two to try!

Happy Cooking,

More Recipe Collections

  • Game Day Recipes
  • Easy Pasta Recipes
  • Favorite Comfort Food Recipes
  • 17 Recipes with Mushrooms

Post updated from the archives. First published in August 2017.

April Anderson

I’m a passionate home cook, cookbook author, recipe developer, freelance writer, food photographer, and dog mom ❤ I garnish (almost) everything with parsley and believe you can make deliciously amazing dishes with everyday ingredients.

Easy Dinner Recipes for Two (2024)

FAQs

What should I eat for dinner for two people? ›

If you're hoping to serve a meal to your boo, stick with something simple and classic, like pasta, stir-fries or easy proteins. Try our cacio e pepe, our vegetable curry, or our ground beef stir-fry teriyaki bowls—they're all SUPER simple, with flavor that's out-of-this-world good.

What to make for dinner when you don't have much food? ›

These simple dinner ideas use only a handful of ingredients so you can still whip up a meal using whatever you have in the cupboard.
  1. 15-ingredient sausage rolls. ...
  2. 2Creamy mushroom gnocchi. ...
  3. 3Fast falafel bowl. ...
  4. 45-ingredient satay beef skewers. ...
  5. 55-ingredient meatball carbonara. ...
  6. 6Speedy wild rice and salmon salad.

How to cook for two on a budget? ›

Budget recipes for two
  1. Egg & rocket pizzas. A star rating of 4.6 out of 5. ...
  2. Smoky chickpeas on toast. A star rating of 5 out of 5. ...
  3. Easy vegan pho. ...
  4. Charred cauliflower pasta with pumpkin seed pesto. ...
  5. Hummus flatbread pizzas with roasted veg. ...
  6. Paneer-stuffed pancakes. ...
  7. App onlyPulled chicken bowl. ...
  8. Marinated tofu.

What is the most easiest to cook? ›

17 Of The Easiest Recipes Of All Time (Seriously)
  • Smoked Gouda and Mushroom Quesadillas. ...
  • Sheet Pan Lemon Butter Veggies and Sausage. ...
  • Scrambled Egg Tacos. ...
  • 15-Minute Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry. ...
  • One-Pot Chicken and Rice with Artichokes. ...
  • Wild Rice and Leftover Turkey Soup. ...
  • Sticky Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp.
Jan 2, 2019

What is the easiest thing to bake? ›

All Easy Baking Ideas
  • Banana Bread. Recipe | Courtesy of Mary Sue Milliken|Susan Feniger. ...
  • Sugar Cookies. Recipe | Courtesy of Alton Brown. ...
  • Crispy-Cakey Chocolate Chip Cookies. Recipe | Courtesy of Food Network Kitchen. ...
  • Twice-Baked Potatoes. ...
  • Banana Walnut Bread. ...
  • Shortbread Cookies. ...
  • Banana Bread. ...
  • Classic Deviled Eggs.

What is the cheapest meal you can make? ›

68 Easy And Cheap Dinner Ideas That You'll Want To Make On Repeat
  • Black Bean Burgers. ...
  • Creamy Tomato Shells. ...
  • Zucchini Corn Quesadillas. ...
  • Super-Fresh Cucumber Tomato Salad. ...
  • Chicken and Mandarin Salad With Simple Sesame Dressing. ...
  • Garlic Butter Capellini Pomodoro With Shrimp. ...
  • Orzo With Spinach and Roasted Red Peppers.
May 3, 2024

What to make for dinner when nothing sounds good? ›

What to eat when nothing sounds good: 25 balanced meal ideas
  • Ham or turkey & cheese sandwich with a side of fruit.
  • Rotisserie chicken with frozen microwaveable rice and veggies.
  • “Adult Lunchable”: cheese, crackers, deli meat, raw fruits or veggies with dip.
  • Frozen chicken tenders or nuggets on top of a salad.
Jan 11, 2023

What to make for dinner when you're broke? ›

  • Creamy pasta carbonara. A lovely, creamy version of a well-known favourite.
  • Best Spaghetti and Meatballs. ...
  • Mongolian Beef Stir-Fry. ...
  • Devilled sausages. ...
  • Potato and leek soup. ...
  • Lemon chicken. ...
  • Salt and pepper chicken. ...
  • Chicken and bacon carbonara.

What's a man's favorite meal? ›

No two guys are alike, but most share a love for hearty, full-flavored meals. Burgers and pizza. Meals cooked over fire. Meats made with beer.

How to cook for a picky husband? ›

21 Best Recipes for Picky Eaters
  1. Salisbury Steak. "I absolutely loved this recipe. ...
  2. Chicken Enchiladas. "These enchiladas were AH-MAZING! ...
  3. Crispy Parmesan-Ranch Chicken Breasts. ...
  4. Baked Sweet Potato Fries. ...
  5. Chocolate Chip Cookie Baked Oatmeal. ...
  6. Pepperoni Pizza Casserole. ...
  7. Taco Salad. ...
  8. Chicken & Dumplings.

How to impress your wife at night? ›

Romantic things to do for your wife at home
  1. Cook her favorite meal and set a romantic table.
  2. Create a home spa day for her, with massages and relaxation.
  3. Plan a movie night with her favorite films.
  4. Start a garden together.
  5. Make a photo album of your favorite memories together.

How many dishes should 2 people have? ›

How many dinner plates should you own per person? Traditionally, it is suggested that three to four plates for each person are optimal. However, this number can increase when you are setting up a formal table.

What does dinner for two ate both? ›

It means the other person didn't turn up. It's a concise, and pointed, way of saying “I made dinner for two, but I ate both”.

How to do 2 meals a day? ›

The two meal diet plan is exactly what it sounds like... you just eat two meals a day instead of three. And this form of intermittent fasting is extremely effective for weight loss because it gets you into a calorie deficit while also making you feel more satisfied, limiting overeating throughout the day.

What should I eat for dinner with my friends? ›

Dinner party mains
  • One-pot chicken chasseur. A star rating of 4.8 out of 5. ...
  • Lamb biryani. A star rating of 4.6 out of 5. ...
  • Crispy sesame chicken. A star rating of 0 out of 5. ...
  • Beef bourguignon with celeriac mash. ...
  • Mustard-stuffed chicken. ...
  • Goat's cheese & thyme stuffed chicken. ...
  • One-pan salmon with roast asparagus. ...
  • Butternut chilli.

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